Visible index system



Jan. 28, 1930. H. 1. MATTHES I VISIBLE INDEX SYSTEM Filed May 18. 1927 moved Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES;-

PATENT OFFICE HAROLD LOUIS MATTHES, 0F M ONRO E, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE W'EIS MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF MONROE, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN VISIBLE INDEX SYSTEM Application filed May 18,

This invention relates to card holders for visibleindex systems,such as those in which the cards are held in overlapping relation on trays orslides,which latter areusuallyim sertible in and removable from a cabinet- Generally stated, the objectof the invention is to provide aform of card holder of simple, inexpensive form, which can be easily placed in the tray or slide, and easily, re-

therefrom,1and toprovide means on the ends of said card holdersto space them apart, in the form o'f -rollers on the opposite ends of each card holder,,whereby the card holders are not only spacedapart ina mannerto make it easy to;swing the cards back and forth, but whereby it is alsoeasy to slide or move the card holders back and forthin the guides in which said rollers-travel, said rollers rotating easily to permit shifting of the holders toward and away from each other, and at the same time providing trun-. nion hearings in which the opposite ends of the card holders are mounted to swivel easily when it is necessary to swing the cards toward and away from each "other; 1 It is also anobject to provideanovel and improved form of sheet-metal card holder having gripping aws for bendingor crimping thenca-rd, wherebythe latter will more securely be held in place. ,7 l It is also an object to provide-certain-details andfeatures of construction tendingto increase the general efiiciencyjandth'e desirability of card holders ofthis particular character.

To thesejand other useful ends, the invention consistsinthe matters hereinafter set forthand claimed, and 'shown in-"the-accompanying drawings, in-which v i i Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tray or slide ,pro' vided with card holders embodying the principles of the invention. r 1

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on: line 2-.2 in 1 V VIII. Fig. 3 is a perspective of a portion of a card holder and card,showin'g the formation of thefcard' holder before the roller is applied thereto. Y I i Y I Fi 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view showmgthe formation-of the end portion 1927. Serial No. 192,171.

of the card holder after the roller is applied thereto.

Fig. 5 is anenlarged cross-section of one of the sheet-met-al card holders, showing the formation ofthe jaws thereof for bending or crimping the card, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

As thus illustrated, the invention]cornprises a sheet-metal tray 1 havingparallel guides 2 in'the oppositeside edge portions thereof, as shown. Y v Y Each sheet-metal card holder has a straight middle portion 3 comprising parallel portions for resiliently gripping and holding a card 4 of any suitable character. The opposite ends of the sheet-metal card holder are provided with rollers 5 rotatably held. in

placethereon by the expanded or spread end portions 6 of the sheet-metal card holder. Thus each sheet-metal card holder has a slot into which the card can be forced, and the springy, resilient jaws of the card holder will grip the card: and hold it in position, so that thecard'can only be removed byforcibly pulling it out from the slot in the card holder. The rollers'5 engage-each other, when the holders andcards are properly assembled,

hus spacing the card holders apart a suflicient distance to permit each card holder to swivel or partially rotate in its rollers 5, the latterf thereby serving as trunnion bearings for each card holder. Whenthe card holders are moved bodily, or moved toward and away fromeach other, the rollers 5 rotate in the guides, and travel-easily along these guides, making it easy to shift the cards and card holders.

One method of assembly, asshown in 3, is to leave the end portions 7 of each sheet v metal'card holder straight,as shown, and to insert these straight portions into the rollers 5, andto then expand the end portions of the holder to form the funnel-shaped portions 6, which prevent displacement of the rollers. "Each cardholder is preferably provided with the shoulders 8*at the ends of the jaws of the card holder, and'alignment of the cards is obtained by bringing the side edges of the cards opposite these shoulders 8 in the mannershown.

Any suitable or desired means can be employed for holding the card holders in position, against shifting around, such as the ordinary and well known flexible, springy, metal strip 9 for the inner end portion of the tray, having end portions that will frictionally engage in the guides 2 previously mentioned, thestrip being bowed upward to enable its end portions to enter said guides, and its straightening-out action then serving automatically to hold it in position in said guides. This is an old expedient, and does not need further description, as it forms no part of the invention. At theother side the card holders can be held in position by projections IO-extending into the grooves of 'the guides, from any suitable portion of the structure, and the tray or slide can be of any suitable or desired length, it will be understood. to accommodate as manycard holders alsdmayconveniently :be held in one tray or s 1 e.

With this arrangement, the card holders are spaced apart in a'manner permitting them to oscillate or rotate freely in their rollers, the

latter serving as trunnion bearings for this purpose, and hence the cards can be moved toward and away from eachother withthe utmost freedom, and without friction between the card holders. The rollers provide spacing meansthat are uniform, and which can rotate and yet atthe same time always have the same spacing diameter, so that regardlessof rotation of these rollers, 'thecard holders are always spaced the same distance apart.

The rollers '5, ofcourse, prevent removal of the cards by motion-thereoflongitudinally of the card holders, thus compelling insertion of the cards by edgewise movement thereof in a direction at right angles to the card holder,

and compellingremoval of the cards by a similar motion, inasmuchas the rollers form a stop at each end of the card holder to prevent lateral shiftingof the cards to any great extent.

As shown in Fig. 5, the s'heet-metalcard holder 3 is preferably formed with parallel jaws, or substantially parallel jaw portions, 11 and 12, and the jaw 11 has an inturnedor inwardly folded portion 13 which eirtends toward theresilient portion 14 by which the two jaws are flexibly connected together. The other jaw 12 has a similar inside portion 15,

this portion 15 is shorter, so that it extends a 'less distance toward the portion 14 as shown. The edge of portion 13 clamps the card against the inner side of outer jaw 12, while the edge of portion 15 clamps it against the face-of portion 13. In this way,'the-card 4 when inserted is bent orcrimped in the manner shown, by the edges of the portions 18 and 15, thereby securely holdingthe card in place, but permitting'the card to be forcibly pulled out. This also provides the jaws'with smooth and rounded outer edges between which the card can easily be inserted, so that the longitudinal edges of each card holder are all smooth and rounded, and whereby each sheet-metal card holder is also made somewhat stiffer and more rigid. It will be seen that the portions 13 and 15 extendat angles to bend or buckle the card 4 in the mannershown, so that the holder-in this way has a good grip on the card, as the inner edges of the portions 13 and 15 bear against the surface ofthecard, and thus the cardholders, and cardsdetachably 'h'ld in said holders.

2. Astructure'as specified in claim 1, each card holder comprising resilient sheet-metal gripping jaws for frictionally gripping a card, and havingend portions vent removal of the rollers therefrom.

3. A structure as specified in claim Leach card holder having expanded end portions preventing removal of the rollers therefrom.

4. Astructnre as specified in claim 1, said rollers preventing removal of the cards sidewise or longitudinally ofthecard holder, and compelling edgewise insertion of'the cards by movement in a-direction atright angles to the length of the card holder, and com elling removal of the cards by a similar re ative motion.

5. A structure as specified in claim 1, each roller having a beveled seat in its outer end, and each card holder havin its end portions flared toengage said beveled seats.

6. A structure as specified in claim 1, each card holder being made of-sheet-metal having jaws-resiliently connected together to clamp a card between them, said jaws being-each provided with an inturned portion of sheet-metal providing gripping edges spaced a distance apart transversely of the holder, and providing the jaws with outer rounded edges, said inside edges engagingthe opposite surfaces of the card to hold the card in place.

7. A plurality of card holders, and means for supporting the card holders, each card holder being made of sheet-metal havingjaws resilientlyconnected together to clamp a card between them, said jaws being each provided with an inturned portion of sheet-metal providing gripping edges spaced a distance apart transversely of the holder, and provid ing the jaws with outer rounded edges, said formed to preinside edges engaging the opposite surfaces of the card to hold the card in place.

8. A structure as specified in claim 7 said rounded edges stopping short of the opposite ends of the card holder, forming shoulders by which to position the cards of the difierent holders in alignment at their side edges.

Specification signed this 11th day of May, 192

HAROLD LOUIS MATTHES. 

